


Say It With...The Best of Intentions

by HilaryParker54



Series: Say It With...Primeval Oneshots [5]
Category: Primeval
Genre: F/M, Gen, One day to V-Day and someone's not ready, Reference to Matt Anderson/Emily Merchant
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-12-11
Updated: 2013-12-11
Packaged: 2018-01-04 07:43:16
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,173
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1078350
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/HilaryParker54/pseuds/HilaryParker54
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>February 13th</p>
<p>"You do know I'm not a complete moron, right?"</p>
<p>"Of course you aren't," Abby agreed, her tone placating. "As soldiers go, I would even be willing to admit you're pretty bright. Usually."</p>
<p>"Gee, thanks," the soldier muttered, cutting an annoyed glare at the blonde before turning his attention back to the traffic ahead of them.</p>
<p>"Look, Becker, all I am saying is, now that you and Jess are, well, 'you and Jess' you can't just treat it like it's any other day. You are going to need to put some thought into it."</p>
<p>This is why getting involved with a work mate was a bad idea, Becker thought irritably. Nosy coworkers. "It's Valentines Day, Abigail, the holiday invented by greetings card companies, florists and candy makers. I know Jess' taste in all three. How hard can it be?"</p>
<p>"Okay, I was wrong - you are a complete moron," Abby muttered under her breath, realizing she was going to have to spell it out for her romantically and emotionally challenged friend.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Say It With...The Best of Intentions

**Author's Note:**

> Disclaimer: I own nothing of value, least of all Primeval. That privilege belongs to ITV.
> 
> So this story and two that follow were written to celebrate Valentine's Day last year. Though they weren't finished til June. They are also the last three in the series unless I take a notion to write more.

_February 13th_

"You do know I'm not a complete moron, right?"

"Of course you aren't," Abby agreed, her tone placating. "As soldiers go, I would even be willing to admit you're pretty bright. Usually."

"Gee, thanks," the soldier muttered, cutting an annoyed glare at the blonde before turning his attention back to the traffic ahead of them.

"Look, Becker, all I am saying is, now that you and Jess are, well, ' _you and Jess'_  you can't just treat it like it's any other day. You are going to need to put some thought into it."

_This is why getting involved with a work mate was a bad idea_ , Becker thought irritably.  _Nosy coworkers._  "It's Valentines Day, Abigail, the holiday invented by greetings card companies, florists and candy makers. I know Jess' taste in all three. How hard can it be?"

"Okay, I was wrong - you  _are_  a complete moron," Abby muttered under her breath, realizing she was going to have to spell it out for her romantically and emotionally challenged friend. "This is  _Jess_  we're talking about. She's the most hopeless romantic I know, worse even than Connor and-"

"Hopeful."

"-that's sayin... wait, what?" Abby frowned, not sure she had heard right.

Only just realizing that he had said the word aloud, Becker strove for nonchalance as he responded with, "Jess is a ' _hopeful_ ' romantic."

Abby couldn't help but laugh. But she stifled it quickly when a death glare was aimed her way.

She settled for smirking at the fact that the soldier had just paraphrased a line from one of Jess' favorite movies to describer her. "My god, Becker, there's hope for you yet."

"Again: gee, thanks. Can we be done with this conversation now?" he asked as he navigated the SUV into the ARC's garage.

"Nope. Not until you hear me out," the zoologist argued.

With a resigned sigh, Becker parked in his usual spot and turned the key to the off position before crossing his arms on the steering wheel and resting his head on them.

The anomaly and incursion call out that they were returning from had been (blessedly) fatality free, but herding several hundred small horse-like creatures - Connor had declared them Epihippus from the Eocene - back through had been exhausting, dirty work. Becker wanted a shower, clean clothes, and a few minutes with Jess - preferably alone - and not necessarily in that order.

"Fine. Get on with it."

_Why am I even bothering?_  Abby wondered for just a moment. She glanced down at the two earpieces she held, having snagged Becker's off his ear before starting this conversation in the first place.  _Jess. Right then._

"Okay, here's the deal: Jess is excited about Valentine's. Really excited."

Abby paused there, as if to let that comment sink in, and Becker rolled his head so that he could look at the blond, one eyebrow raised. This was not news to him.

Had he not been the one to get roped into helping her decorate the ARC two years running now? Not even Lester's disdain and annoyance could dampen Jess' enthusiasm for placing heart and flower decals on every available window, balloons and floral arrangements in the break room and canteen.

Abby ignored the look and continued, "It's your own fault really - you give her chocolates every other day, just about, and flowers when you pick her up for a date. It's sweet, but it means you're going to have to up your game tomorrow. The same old chocolates and flowers aren't going to do."

Finally understanding what had prompted this conversation, Becker stifled a resigned sigh.

Sitting upright, he twisted to reach over the seat for the package he had gotten when they'd stopped at a confectionary on the way back from the incursion site. He pulled the tissue-wrapped box out of the bag and placed it in Abby's hands, his stoic soldier mask firmly in place.

It was heavier than she would have expected a box of chocolates to be, and when she carefully peeled back the tissue she saw why.

Long fingers delicately traced along the lid before lifting it.

Abby stared at the contents for several long moments before quietly closing the lid and ever so carefully wrapping the tissue paper back around. When she offered it back to Becker with an approving smile, he realized he had been holding his breath, awaiting her reaction.

Embarrassed and trying hard not to let it show, the soldier carefully slid the gift back into the bag, put it on the back seat and slid the jacket he'd tossed in the back earlier on top. He got out of the SUV without a word and started inside but Abby's hand on his shoulder stopped him.

When she stepped up beside him, and then lifted up on her toes to kiss his cheek, he blushed.

Abby grinned, pressing his earpiece into his hand. As she sauntered away he heard her say, "There's definitely hope for you yet."

* * *

"Action Man."

"Temple," Becker growled, frustration mounting at the interruption. "Can I help you?"

He didn't bother looking up from the computer screen.

Not that maintaining focus was all that big a deal when he had yet to add a single word to the form he had supposedly been working on for nearly a half hour; the form that was supposed to reduce writing reports to near fill-in-the-blank simplicity.

"Actually, I'm here to help you, mate," Connor responded with a grin as he invited himself inside and slouched into the only extra chair in the office - a stylish black leather armchair that Jess had insisted on requisitioning just a few weeks after he came back to the ARC, insisting he needed somewhere for a guest to sit.

Of course, the majority of 'guests' to his office were soldiers, who stood either at attention or parade rest whilst present. Even Matt would just lean against the door jam or a wall on the few occasions they had chanced to meet in here. Until Abby and Connor had come back only Jess had ever sat in the chair. Now nearly a year had passed and he still thought of it as Jess' chair.

Shaking off that train of thought, Becker just looked at the other man.

A full minute ticked by before Connor grew uncomfortable enough with the silence to stop picking at a loose thread in his shirt hem and start rambling.

"Abs, Emily and Jess are doin' the girly thing tonight, yeah? Gettin' ready for tomorrow. So I figured us men could do the same- Well, not the  _same_. I mean, not nothin' girly... I mean, we're guys. Right? So yeah, guy stuff. Go get them cards and such, then hit a pub. Have a few pints. Play dar-"

"Connor." Becker interrupted, using his stern soldier's voice. The irony of the situation unfolding before him would have been amusing if it wasn't so pathetic.

"Yeah?"

" _Tell me_  you didn't wait until the night before Valentine's Day to get your fiancée a card and gift."

* * *

_fin_


End file.
